Cortisol and Emotional Memory

The hormone cortisol has an important role in the research on emotional memory.
Recent studies examine the interaction between glucocorticoiden and emotional
valence demonstrate that normal participants do remember emotional items better
than neutral items due to a higher cortisol level, in opposite to other studies
that did not report this pattern. The variance within the different studies
depends on variously defined variables; e.g. administration of cortisol on
different moments in time, differences in stimulus material and memory tests.
In sum, these dissensions will be exemplified in the current study. Thence,
cortisol will be administered on an identical moment in time, different stimuli
types will be presented (words and pictures) and various memory tests (p. 8 of
the protocol) will be examined.

In this study, the relationship between deficits within emotional memory and
different typologies of psychopathy (impulsive vs. instrumental) will be
examined. Furthermore, the current research concerns the influence (either
positive or negative) of different levels of cortisol on tests regarding
emotional memory. The study contributes to a better understanding of the
emotional memory within psychopaths, and will be attentive in the development
of atheoretical framework concerning several dimensions within psychopathy in
relation to emotional memory.

The study compromises 4 trails. The first meeting starts with assessing the
subjects (baseline) cortisol level in four assessments in a single day, in
which a saliva sample is collected with a cotton wool stick. During the first
session, emotional (positive/negative) and neutral images are presented on a
computer screen. Short Term Memory (STM) and Long Term Memory (LTM) are tested
immediately after the second session (immediate cued recall and an immediate
recognition task), and a week later (delayed free recall, delayed cued recall
and delayed recognition). During the second session, equal memory tests are
examined, proceeding by an administering of 20 mg cortisol or a placebo.
Afterwards, the first session is repeated. In order to prevent possible
learning effects, different pictures are presented in both session, matched in
emotional valence and arousal level, based on the IAPS, in order prevent the
attribution of possible response differences to the differences in the picture
sets.

n.v.t.

Risks
There are no health risks unified with this study.

Ethical aspects
Participants are totally free in their decision to participate within this
research. Moreover, participation within the current research has no
consequences what so ever on their treatment or duration of their reside within
the clinic.